Hoops

Going for goal, AFL vs NBL

DJ don't agree. I know with Brett in particular, in the last few seasons he has had injuries on and off throughout the season. The first game he comes back to from injury, his shooting is poor. By the 2nd game with all the practice in between, he improves immensely. Practice does make perfect but its fresh practice that makes the difference. You can't practice shooting for an hour everyday for a week and then go a week without practice and expect to shoot well. Even elite sports people like Brett lose their touch without practice.

The mechanical actions involved in the sound execution of both rely on the coorination many body parts. (although football generally has a larger range of environmental factors- ground condition, wind, rain, sun). This aside the standard of skill to play at elite level dictates that the individual should be able to execute a high percenage of the time.

Variation due an individuals psychological perception is probably the critical control or lacking of it as the case may be.

Consider The AFL at the moment:
A tight season in terms of defensive pressure and win / loss ratio. Increasing pace and rule interpretation changes that during the game, require a player to change previous modes of operation. On and off field, there is increased scruitiny by media and the public.

Increased pressure levels may be manifesting in poorer scoreboard execution. Frustration from poor execution can drive the phenomena further.

Correction funnily enough generally favours the stupid. That is take it for granted that you know what your doing i.e. think less. The base mechanics are then more likely to flow with less tension and resulting in less margin for error.

To this end you need practice in identifying and coping with a given situation rather one more shot.

The age old saying practice makes perfect.

I remember an article a while ago was either mentioned here or on OzHoops where they researched the advantages and changes from 'practicing' shooting a basketball and found that repetative practice of shooting a basketball of an already established elite basketballer made no difference to his/her shooting %'s.

Was something to do with the reaction/communication from brain to hand if I remeber correctly.

So someone like Brett Maher can shoot a pretty decent clip in training/anywhere but come game time the factors of defense, the situation of the game, pressure etc all ultimatley determine the outcome of his shot not if he has practiced for hours on end or not.

Was an interesting read.